It begins...

A friend recently forwarded an email to me titled "The Invisible Mother," a short essay comparing the tireless and often thankless job of a mother to the builders of Europe's great cathedrals. Both give their whole lives for a work they will never see finished, both make sacrifices and expect no credit, and both are fueled in their passion by the faith that the eyes of God see every detail. The writer of the essay was inspired by the thought that our endless efforts in motherhood, invisible as they may seem, are worth it and can make an enriching life.


For many of us, the way we choose to hold our invisibility at bay is by creating something tangible. For me, my days often end with knitting - my love of fiber and the need to do something relaxing end up producing something I can hold and look at. Nobody will know how many times I swept under the high chair that day, or how many toys I picked up, or how many times I tried to coax a "please" or "more" or "sorry" out of my 5 year old. But a darling, handmade infant hat? That you can see.


I start new projects every day, and my 10 year old does the same. In this process of creating (and yes, often not finishing our projects!) we connect with each other and a bigger picture of ourselves in the process. My plan for this blog is to share the projects that excite me and bring some accessible proof of my existence in this invisible world of mothering!


So, this blog is dedicated to the mothers out there whose days are filled with the minutia of tasks that build our children and our families. I often tell people that I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I am the builder of a great cathedral. With every shoelace tied, lunch packed, and forehead kissed, I build.


And I can hardly wait to create something new...


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Where To Begin...

I thought my life was crazy the week before we left for Iowa. HA! It's been 3 weeks since my last post, but practically a lifetime has been lived in those three weeks.  A quick update before I launch into my current crafty business:


The first few days in Iowa were busy but good, then all hell broke loose and Mom ended up back in the hospital with blood clots in both lungs. Brynn and I stayed an extra 5 days to lend support and help, then came home on the 18th. I had to hit the ground running in order to catch up to my life, all-the-while worrying about my mom. Thursday night I hosted a giant party for all the 1st graders at Scarborough. Fun, but the leftover cake just about did me in! Friday I tried to get unpacked and prepare for Saturday - the end-of-year Girl Scout Outing. We spent the day touring an ice cream shop and then at Chuck E Cheese since the weather was iffy. Sunday was Rowan's piano recital, Monday was our final Girl Scout meeting and Bridging to Brownie ceremony, and Tuesday was the last day of school. And I hosted Knit Night. And my house cleaner couldn't come as planned, so I had to try and hide the filth that is my house! Yesterday and today, I have been frantically pulling together the annual back yard treasure hunt we are having here tomorrow. I have 35 kids plus their moms coming!  


For the treasure hunt, I have created four teams (using jungle animal mascots), taken all the photo clues, created the clue cards, and stuffed the treasure bags. I've recruited help to bring snacks and drinks, so tomorrow I will head out into the soggy marsh that is our back yard and spend a half hour setting up the hunt. 
In order to get all this done, I had to get Rowan involved in a project of her own so she wouldn't get a heads-up on the clues and what's in the treasure! I suggested she make a list of all the fun things she wants to do this summer and make a collage. I helped her find photos online, which we printed, and she got to work creating "My Summer Brake Collage!" (Gotta love the spelling!)
I have all kinds of garden updates to show as well, but that will have to wait - Brynn's nap will be ending soon and I need to sit on my butt for 15 minutes and not think about anything! I may try to work a bit on my current knitted bag - I'm getting near the bag bindoff and almost ready to start the icord handles.
Rowan and two neighborhood friends are busy creating face paint art on each other - pretty cute stuff. :) Happy summer break!
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1 comment:

  1. KathyMay 26, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    Don't you worry about me! I'm doing fine now and using a cane most of the time instead of the walker, and feeling good. :)
    Love the Summer "Brake" collage. Hope you can take a breather soon!

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